Millstone-pick



(No Model.)

J. W. TRUAX.

MILLSTONE PIGK.

No. 431,789. Patented July 8, 1890.

W/TNESSES:

ATTORNEYS UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JACOB W. TRUAX, OF ESSEX JUNCTION, VERMONT.

MILLSTONE-PICK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 431,789, dated July 8, 1890.

Application filed November 30, 1889. Serial No. 332,088. .(No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JACOB IV. TRUAX, of Essex Junction, in the county of Ohittenden and State of Vermont, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Millstone-Picks, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description;

My invention relates to an improvement in millstone-picks, and has for its object to provide a tool of simple and economic construction, and one in which the blades may be conveniently inserted or removed, as occasion may demand.

The invention consists in the novel construction and combination of the several parts, as will be hereinafter fully set forth, and pointed out in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar letters and figures of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the pick, and Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same.

In carrying out the invention the head 10 is constructed of steel, and on each end of said head two preferably semi-elliptical springjaws 11 are formed the concave faces of each set of jaws constituting the inner faces,whereby an essentially oval-shaped opening 12 is obtained between each of the opposed jaws. The body is further provided at its center with an opening, into which the upper end of any approved style of handle 13 is introduced.

The blades 14 are flat and constructed of steel. They are of even thickness from their cutting-edge a to a point a near their inner end, from which point a the blades are made to taper in such manner that they may be readilyinserted between the spring-j aws. The tapering of the blades at their inner ends is best illustrated in Fig. 2. The taper of the reduced ends of the bladesis preferably of no greater length than the extreme width of the opening 12 between the jaws.

In practice the thin tapering or wedgeshaped end of the blade is introduced between the jaws at one end of the body, and the said blade is then driven to place by'striking a millstone, a block of wood, or other substance violently with the outer end of the blade ""Patent which has just been introduced into the head. A second blade is inserted in the opposite end of the head in thesame manner.

To remove a blade for purposes of sharpening or to insert a new one in place of one broken, the'body may be laid upon any support in such manner upon its side that one of the blades will project over the edge of the support, whereupon the blade is struck a quick strong blow upon its upper edge, which drives the blade downward at an angle and creates a space between the inner end of the blade at the top and the inner wall of the opening 12 between the jaws in which the blade is held. The blade may be driven out entirely by inserting a wedge in the space thus formed.

I desire it to be distinctly understood that while I have described the tool as being especially adapted for use in connection with a millstone to dress the same, the body may be made sufficiently strong an d the blade so tempered that the tool maybe utilized for removing the scales from boilers or for analogous uses.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters 1. As an improved article of manufacture, the head 10, formed with integral semi-elliptical jaws 11 at its opposite ends, the space between the working-faces of the jaws being less than the thickness of a single blade to be used therewith, and the rear walls of the oval openings formed by the said jaws forming abutments for the blades, substantially as set forth.

2. The c0mbination,with the head 10, formed with a pair of integral semi-elliptical jaws 11 at both ends, and a single thin blade forced between each pair of jaws, the thickness of the single blades where grasped being greater than the space between the grasping-edges of the jaws, said blades being thinner at their inner ends to facilitate their entrance between the jaws, substantially as set forth.

JACOB WV. TRUAX.

Witnesses:

ARCHIE I-I. BEACH, JOHN S. REYNOLDS. 

